His Angel
by kurgaya
Summary: "I'm meant to be on a break, I don't want to listen to you whine. Now let go of your mother because she's gone kid, and she's not coming –" Ichigo burst into tears again. The girl groaned. Oneshot! Very, very slight IchiHitsu. Slight AU!


**Title: His Angel**  
**Author: xTKx**  
**Rating: K+**  
**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters**  
**Parings: None, though if you like this could be the start of an IchiHitsu - you'll know what I mean when you read it.**  
**Summary: "I don't have time to deal with kiddie tantrums kid," she snapped, and Ichigo swore the air just got colder. "I'm meant to be on a break, I don't want to listen to you whine. Now let go of your mother because she's gone kid, and she's not coming –" Ichigo burst into tears again. The girl groaned. The wind howled and the thunder laughed.**

**Notes: Follows Bleach plot-line until 5th paragraph and the girl is NOT AN OC. You will understand (certainly) at the end of the story :D**

**One-shot!**

**This is my 10th story and since 10 is my favourite number I wanted to write something special! I hope you enjoy it and sorry Akira, it isn't our original idea. Far from it actually... **

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His tiny voice wailed pathetically as his mind shattered inside of his head, the pieces exploding out of his mouth and falling to the earth like the bullets of rain surrounding him as his little pale hands clung onto the soaked fabric on top of him and pulled at it, like a dog begging his owner to take him for a walk. Nine year old Ichigo Kurosaki cried as the thick, dark blood oozed out of the hole in his mother's side and spilled onto the grass beneath them, evidence left behind of the thing that had just attacked them.

"Mummy," he sobbed, hugging the lifeless body lying on top of him. "Wake up… wake up… please mummy… wake up…"

But Masaki Kurosaki would not wake, for her eyes were already open, staring into nothing. Her bright orange hair was fanned out around her and her arms were spread wide, a desperate act to protect her son from the predator he could not see but was running towards.

The rain continued to pelt the mother and son with no mercy, the thunder booming overhead seemed to be laughing at them, the cold winds whipped up suddenly and fell silent in respect, and it was then that the child lying on the ground ceased his crying and stared up in wonder at the person who he had just noticed was looking down at him with concern.

She was pretty, was Ichigo's first thought, despite the fact that he had no idea who she was or what she wanted. Ichigo hadn't even heard her approach, though the storm howling above them was probably the cause of that, and the girl was staring down at him and his mother calmly, as if the torn body and the bloody clothes weren't even there, or she wasn't affected by them at least.

The strange girl was wearing black, and the long white hair that stuck to her face contrasted nicely against it. She was also wearing a white robe over the top of the black outfit but the sleeves were short and Ichigo knew that it couldn't be keeping the cold wind out. However the girl didn't seem to mind the rain or the wind because she was not shivering; she was frowning actually, and Ichigo winced, wondering if she was some kind of medic.

"Damn Hollows," muttered the girl, completely unaware of the child eyeing her up. She looked around, for what Ichigo didn't know. "Who was meant to be on watch? Whoever it is is a moron." She sighed, glancing down at Masaki's body. "I don't think her soul's going to appear any time soon. Shame, if her son's got this much spiritual energy then she must have had a ton… Now, what am I going to do with the kid?"

"What do you mean?" blurted out Ichigo, suddenly afraid of the girl standing over him. She sounded like one of those bad people on TV that went around killing people! Well, she did, other than the fact that she seemed to be talking about a load of rubbish. Maybe she was one of those insane killer-people!

The girl visibly jumped at his suddenly question, and her head snapped down to stare, shocked, at Ichigo. Ichigo's own eyes widened when he saw the mournful teal eyes that she had, and he gulped under her intense glare and tried to sink away into the bloody ground beneath him to escape.

"You can –" the girl began, but she stopped suddenly, noticing the other's discomfort. Softening her gaze, she knelt down beside the body that the boy was stuck underneath, placing her hand on top of the child's. Worried of what the girl was going to do, Ichigo gripped tighter onto his mother's shirt.

"You're going to have to let her go," said the white haired girl quietly. "She's gone."

"No she's not!" Ichigo said fiercely, his eyes like fire. "She's not gone! She's not gone!"

The girl ran her other hand through her dripping hair, muttering a curse under her breath. "I don't have time to deal with kiddie tantrums kid," she snapped, and Ichigo swore the air just got colder. "I'm meant to be on a break, I don't want to listen to you whine. Now let go of your mother because she's gone kid, and she's not coming –"

Ichigo burst into tears again. The girl groaned. The wind howled and the thunder laughed.

"For the love of god," muttered the girl, and in one swift, shocking, motion, she pulled the boy out from underneath the dead woman and set him on his feet, getting up herself. The quick movement dazed Ichigo so much that he stopped crying, his mouth dropping open making him look like a large goldfish. "There we go," said the girl, "that wasn't too hard was it?"

The orange haired child just stared, and the girl exhaled a sigh, taking pity on the boy. Now that they were standing beside each other, she realized just how young the boy was and again she cursed whoever was meant to be on duty to prevent the humans from being devoured by Hollows. She undid the sash around her, and ignoring the boy's horrified expression, slipped the sword off of her back and placed it gently on the ground. She then took off her haori and put it around the boy's stiff shoulders, trying to lessen the shivers that racked through his body.

She could stand the cold, she was alright.

Coming out of his stupor at seeing the long sword that the girl was now picking up from the muddy ground, Ichigo reached up and pulled the white fabric tighter around his shoulders, glad for the extra warmth. He didn't take his eyes off of the blade until it was fastened back onto her back and was out of reach, so that he knew she was not going to use it on him. And anyway, why was she carrying a weapon around? Oh! Maybe she really was one of those killer-people. Which is a shame, because she seems so nice, even though she acts a little cold, Ichigo reasoned with himself, but he listened to his gut (even though it was the reason he had gotten his mother killed) and trusted the mysterious girl before him. After all, she had given him this jacket, right? It wasn't like when he turned his back she was going to kill him or anything, because she's a girl! Then again Tatsuki's a girl and she beats him up all the time… And this stranger wasn't much older than himself! Then again Tatsuki's the same age and she beats him up all the time…

"Are you alright kid?" the sword-wielding girl asked, pushing some of her hair away from those stunning eyes of hers.

Ichigo nodded shyly, glancing back down at the body of his mother. The girl seemed to understand. "There's nothing you can do," she said again, sadly. "Shall we get you home?"

"No," Ichigo said quickly. He didn't want to go home. He didn't want to face him family. He didn't want to tell them… to tell them what he had done… He was the reason his mother was dead. How was he going to face his father? And little Karin and Yuzu? Their mother had been the centre of their family, and he had taken it away. It was as if he had killed the sun…

Ichigo saw the girl frown at him. Why doesn't she just leave him? He was only wasting her time. And anyway, he was the reason someone was dead – no one would want to talk to him. She was obviously getting fed up. Why didn't she just go home?

She didn't, however, and instead turned her back to the boy. Ichigo looked up, surprised, and when she began to walk away for some unknown reason he began to follow her. She seemed to have expected just that. "What cheers you up?" she asked when Ichigo reached her side.

"Um…" said Ichigo, thinking of his mother.

"Food," the girl then said, nodding to herself proudly before Ichigo could answer. "I'm sure I've got money somewhere…" Her small hands fished into her pockets as they walked in the rain and soon pulled out a couple dozen notes. Quickly counting them, she put them back into the pocket so that they didn't get wet. "I've got money," she then said, looking down at Ichigo. "Want something to eat?"

"From the supermarket?" Ichigo asked, confused. How much money did she have?

"Anywhere," said the girl, looking both ways before crossing the empty road. "I know I'm a stranger to you but you look like you need some comfort food. And anyway, if you don't want to go home yet, you'll be safe with me."

Ichigo nodded, at her words knowing that she could obviously use that sword and will. "Ajisen Ramen?" asked Ichigo, his eyes wide and hopeful. He loved ramen and if this girl said anywhere…

She smiled too – a real smile – and Ichigo couldn't stop the blush that creeped up onto his face when he saw it. It was a lovely smile… And she really was cute… "Ramen it is," she said. "You're going to have to lead the way though, I don't know where Ajisen Ramen is."

Ichigo nodded happily, his mind momentarily taken off of the image of his dead mother, and he grabbed the girl's hand and led her down the streets of Karakura, the rain still continuing to pelt them with no mercy and the thunder booming overhead with laughter. The white haired girl looked up at the sky as it mocked them and glared, her teal eyes flashing swiftly. As the white haired stranger smirked, another roar filled the night, silencing the thunder and calming the rain, but Ichigo ignored it, thinking it was just the wind.

The rain had died down when they reached Ajisen Ramen, for which Ichigo was glad, and when he pulled the girl to a stop it was then that he realized he had been holding the her hand the entire way. Blushing yet again for his behaviour, he let go and waited for further instruction from the girl. He didn't want to wander in and then find out that she had changed her mind, after all.

"Here," said Ichigo, standing outside of the fast food restaurant, waiting patiently. He didn't know why he was being so open with this girl, but there was something about her that made him feel safe. It might be the sword actually –

Oh. The sword. She couldn't go inside wearing that! And he was still covered in blood wasn't he?

He glanced down quickly at himself and was relieved to find that the rain had washed away the blood from his clothes before it could dry and stick, but now they had the problem of the sword on her back…

"Don't worry," the girl suddenly said, breaking Ichigo from his thoughts. "I'll be right back without the sword. Excuse me."

And she walked off in the opposite direction leaving Ichigo feeling very weird. Could she read him mind? And where on earth was she going to dump that sword without someone noticing it?

She came wandering back a couple of minutes, and Ichigo was very surprised to see that she had indeed left the sword somewhere else, and had actually had time to change clothes as well. Where she had done that, he'll never know, but know she was wearing a pair of black jeans and a long sleeved black top with a red dragon spiralling on it. His first thought was that she looked very boy-ish in that outfit, but he didn't comment, for no boy would have long hair like hers and look so cute.

…Cute?

Before he could argue with himself that this girl _was not _cute, she held out her hand for him, inclining her head towards the restaurant door. He nodded dumbly, the white jacket still wrapped tightly around his shoulders, and grasped her hand shyly, unlike before the girl noted, and walked into the wonderful smelling building.

Once they had their orders of two steaming bowls of miso ramen, the girl guided them over to a small table beside the large restaurant window so that they could observe the moderately vacant world around them. At first they ate in silence, Ichigo struggling with his chopsticks slightly while the other watched him, amused, but neither of them really minded. It was late, dark, and cold and Ichigo was very grateful for the hot meal in front of him and so when he had finally got round to using the chopsticks without dropping them every couple of seconds he said, "Thanks," very quietly.

The girl swallowed the piece of pork in her mouth and used Ichigo's words to start a conversation. "That's ok. You really should be getting home after this though, I'm sure the rest of your family will be worried."

Ichigo nodded. "What about mum?" His voice broke slightly at the last word but he told himself that he wasn't going to cry, and picked up a large chuck of cabbage with his chopsticks.

The girl sighed, watching his dejected actions. "Let somebody else handle that," she said. "We just have to get you home."

"Alright," said Ichigo, chewing on some of the thick noodles from his ramen, the urge for his father hitting him like a ton of bricks. "I don't live far from here."

"That's good," said the girl, and they went back to eating in a relaxing silence.

Ten minutes and three refills later, the girl went up and paid for their meal while Ichigo sat and gazed out of the window. He wanted his father right now, but could he face him? The girl was right, he was sure his family was worried about him not returning home from kendo with his mother. His father had probably gone looking for them… Ichigo wondered if he had found his wife's body lying on the grass by the river yet…

"Kid," the girl said, standing by the table having just paid. "Ready to go?"

Ichigo hesitated. "I…I don't know…"

The girl sighed again (she did a lot of that) and held out her hand. "There's nothing to be afraid of. I bet your father's running around town looking for you – like that guy over there," she added as an after-thought, glancing out of the window. Ichigo spun around in his seat, almost knocking over the empty bowl, and with a surprised gasp saw his father running down the street, looking left and right with an expression of worry on his face.

"Dad!" Ichigo yelled, jumping from his seat and shooting past the girl who for some reason was staring at his father in shock, but he ignored that and sped out of the restaurant, calling his father.

Isshin Kurosaki heard his son's voice nearby and stopped abruptly, his face a look of pure panic. When his wife and son had not returned home from Ichigo's kendo lesson, he had immediately grown worried. He had called his wife's phone, only to hear it ringing in the kitchen, and after cursing very loudly he had slipped on his shoes and rushed out of the house and into the pouring rain. He didn't know how long he had searched but when he closed the dead eyes of his wife he knew that he wouldn't rest until he had found his son safe, and away from any lingering Hollow.

"Ichigo!" he shouted as the short blob of orange that was his only son crashed into him. "Oh god, Ichigo…" he said, gripping his son to him tightly. "I was so worried…"

"Dad…" Ichigo mumbled into his father's coat, hugging the man as if his life depended on it.

Isshin finally felt the anxiety balloon inside of him deflate. Ichigo was ok, he was safe, and Isshin had never felt so relieved in his life. He had expected the worse when he couldn't find Ichigo around the area of Masaki's body, and though in a gigai, he could tell that the monster that had killed her had been a Hollow and he had prayed to the stars that the creature hadn't taken his son too.

Holding his son out at arm's length, Isshin did a quick check for any visible injuries.

"Dad, dad, I'm ok," assured Ichigo, however Isshin didn't answer until he was sure himself. "I'm glad you're safe Ichigo," he said. "But what are you doing all the way over here and what have you got around your shoulders?"

"That would be my fault and that would be mine," and Ichigo looked around to see the white haired girl walking towards them. Seeing as he was facing the girl, Ichigo didn't notice Isshin's happy expression upon the arrival of the strange girl, but quickly that expression turned to one of confusion and a hint of anger.

"I'm on break," the girl said firmly to Isshin, talking as if she was an old friend of his, "and I found your son and wife by the river. I'm sorry I didn't get there quick enough to help, but upon the discovery that the kid could see me, I couldn't just leave him there –"

"So we had ramen!" Ichigo piped up loudly, and Isshin smiled down at him.

"Thank you," he said to the girl, hugging his son again.

"You should have seen her sword!" Ichigo then said, as if a sword was the most amazing thing in the world. "It was so long and pretty! And she was wearing this black outfit before but she changed and I have no idea how she did it and she has loads of money! And she's rather scary actually even though she has really nice eyes and…" As he son blabbered on, Isshin looked over at the person standing before him, a big smirk appearing on his face. A white eyebrow was twitching angrily underneath the still wet, long, snow like hair and Isshin couldn't help but smile at the expression on Toushirou Hitsugaya's face as he mouthed, 'girl?' at the teal eyed male growling angrily opposite.

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**You won't believe how long this took me to write. I really like it, which is a nice surprise, and I hope you do to! Please review?**

**NOW HAS A SEQUEL!**


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